Monthly Archives: January 2015

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What a fun concept! The name may be misleading though, because while you do order at a window in the side of a bus, it’s simply a prop. This is no food truck, it’s a complete quick-serve restaurant that serves terrific (and authentic) Mexican food.

The two tacos I tried (soft corn tortillas with pibil pork in one and pastor pork in the other—the pibil was better) were as good as any street tacos I’ve had, and the crispy vegetable accompaniments were very fresh. On a return visit I tried the tostada with pastor, which I didn’t think was as good as the tacos.

The dip duo (I chose queso and guacamole) was also excellent. At almost $8 it seemed a bit pricey, but the chips were fresh and the queso had a wonderful creamy spiciness.

I only had breakfast here, which is included in at least some of the rates at the adjoining Clarion motel. The breakfast buffet included scrambled eggs, biscuits, bacon, sausage, potatoes, and waffles, and the food quality was pretty good. In particular, the biscuits were better than I was expecting.

The interior is fairly typical sports bar. In the evening, the outside bar area becomes quite lively, and gas heaters keep it toasty in the winter.

The staff here is very nice, and the place has been so completely refurbished that it’s hard to find a surface that hasn’t been covered with some new material or coating.

It’s the old style of motel, with window shaker AC units and exterior hallways, but I have to say the AC units here are the quietest I’ve encountered.

That’s in contrast to the incredibly noisy pool area, which features deafening music all day. Fortunately, they have very good taste in music. But if you want a quiet room then you should (counterintuitively) ask for one facing the parking lots, not the enclosed courtyard.

On the other hand, the east side of the building faces a noisy commercial street. So that leaves the west side of the building, which is basically an alley next to a flooring store. So there you have it.

I will say the room interiors have been redone fairly well, not to the level of a Hilton Garden in or other modern hotel (I mean, come on, this used to be a Best Western) but there is a microwave and nice sized refrigerator, and in-room coffee.

I’ve been judging wines at the fair for 24 years, and I always enjoy those few days of crowds, entertainment and incredibly unhealthful foods. The wine competition is one of the larger in the country, and attracts entries from almost every state. I also enjoy Cracker Country, which is a step back in time, and a great contrast to the garish neon lights of the midway. I also get a kick out of the tacky displays put up by Florida counties I’ve never heard of. And perhaps my favorite is visiting the chicken, rabbits and cows that are completely puzzled by all the fuss.

This location features a beautiful interior design, much nicer than the original in Ybor City, and yet retaining the feel of a place that’s withstood the decades (and I guess it’s almost 20 years old, now that I think about it).

The food is the same as at the other Columbia restaurants, which is to say rich. A good third of the dishes include chorizo, and many are casseroles with no small amount of butter. So it’s not light dining! But it is tasty.

My favorite dish was the scallops, although the empanadas and quest funded were also good. The 1905 salad is also tasty, but ask them to go light on the dressing.

Service is best described as bustling and well-intentioned, perhaps not quite fine dining caliber, but certainly appropriate to the always busy atmosphere.

There is an extensive wine list that is not offered by default, so if you’re interested in Spanish wines be sure to ask for it, as there are many high end selections at reasonable prices.

I’ve been to a few different Bonefish locations, and this one is my favorite. There’s a great interior design and very friendly service. Everyone loves the Bang Bang Shrimp appetizer.

I’m really happy they started offering their Sunday brunch again, and that it has lunch items as well as brunch ones. Both are excellent choices. In fact they are currently open every day for lunch, and there are some very reasonably prices and excellent items available.

This is a great little find in downtown. Authentic croissants, and very un-authentic but yummy omelets in a croissant. I had cheese and bacon in mine, but you can invent anything you like. At $4 including free coffee, it’s a steal!

This place really is like a quick trip to the Rocky Mountains. They have done an absolutely amazing job with the interior decor. We’ve been going her for special occasions such as birthdays for more than a decade, an have watched our daughter grow up underneath the moose head where they take birthday pictures!

I love the fondue appetizer, but to me the place is really about the hot rock cooking. It is so fun, healthful and tasty to grill your own food right on the table. Just don’t take your two year old, or you’ll spend the evening trying to keep him from touching the hot rock.

And of course who doesn’t like chocolate fondue for dessert? There also a thoughtful selection of beers. Service is friendly and makes you feel like one of the family. Highly recommended.

I was very impressed by this creative concept. At first it does look like a CiCi’s pizza, with its salad and pizza buffet.

But the real treat is at the back, where you can get a sandwich, panini, pizza or ice cream with virtually any combination of ingredients you can imagine, made to order. For sandwiches alone, with about a dozen breads, a dozen meats, and a dozen toppings, there are a lot of possibilities.

You can order at the counter, but it’s fun to use the two touchscreens to assemble exactly what you want. Then it’s promptly made and delivered to your table. I selected rye bread, ham, turkey, swiss, fat free mayo and banana peppers. The sandwich turned out great, and all the ingredients were fresh and delicious. It was accompanied by a very tasty and zesty potato salad.

This is a great place for families, because there’s something for everyone, but it’s also one of the better places in town to get a sandwich, and I’d actually rate it above any of the sub shops and delis in the area. In fact, the only thing I didn’t like about it is the bright fluorescent lighting.

It’s hardly necessary to review a restaurant chain that most people have been to, so I’ll restrict my comments to this particular store, and to the new food item introduced on this visit.

Compared to other Panera’s this location is:

-nicer than most interiors-a bit more difficult to park near-has a friendlier staff-has an annoying habit of paging you before your meal is actually ready.

The new item I tried was the Soba Noodle broth bowl with chicken. The broth had a pleasant Asian-inspired flavor, and there was lots of tender and savory chicken. The noodles were a bit odd, grayish with a square cross section, and finer than true soba noodles. Overall the complexity of the dish did not approach that of the Japanese Ramen bowls it imitates.

If you’re looking for a Panera in Orlando, I’d rate this as the best one in the area.